The Golden Opportunity you are seeking is in yourelf, Mary Engelbreit

Powerful PracticeYoga and OT Combine for Mindful Therapy

By Isabelle Gullö Monday February 16, 2009

Tibetan lama Tarthang Tulku once said: “In brief tranquil moments when the senses are relaxed and responsive, when the heart is easy and the mind light, we can hear the voice of silent space speaking … Awareness responds, and the blessing of healing knowledge flows forward.”

A path to mind-body balance that winds back 2,000 years to India, yoga is emerging as one of the most popular forms of exercise in the Western world. Beyond boosting flexibility, strength, and serenity, many turn to yoga to combat depression and anxiety, prevent illness, and manage blood pressure and the effects of disease. Yoga has been used to treat musculoskeletal problems of the back, neck, and hips, which makes it a useful tool for occupational and physical therapists.

Mindful Therapy

One of the key elements to yoga is the mindfulness it inspires, says New York-based Richard Sabel, MA, MPH, OTR, GCFP, educational director of East West Rehab Institute and clinical assistant professor in the occupational therapy program at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. “Anxiety is often a limiting factor in a client’s ability to participate in therapy and make functional gains. Yoga quiets the mind, which helps bring a patient’s attention to what’s going on this moment,” he says.

The postures, whether it’s chair yoga, restorative yoga, or traditional hatha yoga, can enhance body awareness and organization of movement. In turn, this can improve a client’s ability to perform everyday activities, such as getting out of bed or reaching for something in the cupboard. Clients often report feeling calmer and having more energy to either participate in therapy or engage in meaningful activities at home or in the community, Sabel adds.

Although many people practice yoga at a local studio or gym, those recovering from injury or illness, or suffering certain physical conditions, may practice a modified version of the modality taught by an OT or PT in a home, hospital, or hospice setting.

“The parallels between yoga and OT are many,” says Patricia Barnes, MS, OTR/L, a registered yoga teacher in Baltimore. “Both modalities take a holistic approach to healing, looking at the big picture and treating the mind, body, and spirit.” According to Barnes, many yoga poses are really the same exercises that you see in PT and OT; for example, the “bridge” or “sphinx” (prone on elbows). “It’s the mindfulness that sets them apart,” she notes.

Breathe in, Breathe out

It all starts with the breath. “If I had only one way to treat a patient, I’d work on breathing,” Sabel reveals. “It brings you to the moment. Plus, when we start breathing more efficiently, all these things happen psychologically, physiologically, and emotionally. It calms the nervous system and regulates metabolism. It works just as well for athletes [or] for patients who are completely immobile,” he adds.

When you add posture work, remember that breathing is fundamental to all poses, says Kia Meaux, owner of Kaya Yoga studio in Davis, Calif., and author of “Dynamic Yoga.” Meaux continues, “Secondly is to perform a posture with correct anatomical and biomechanical principles — learning correct posture is essential to healing muscular injuries. It’s important to teach people how to be fully present in their bodies before teaching them how to heal themselves.”

Injury and Illness Prevention

Yoga is regarded by many for its positive effect on the immune system. Daily practice of more vigorous types of yoga such as ashtanga or vinyasa (flow yoga) has been shown to improve lung capacity and oxygen conversion. And, thanks to the body awareness it spurs, yoga can avert injuries such as bad falls. The National Institute of Aging even recommends that senior centers offer regular yoga and tai chi classes.

“Yoga can prevent certain illnesses, but it’s not a cure-for-all,” notes Meaux, who adds that yoga’s popularity continues to rise not just with society’s increased levels of stress and anxiety, but with physical injuries that Western medicine has not been able to address from a holistic perspective. “People want to see a connectedness between their mental and physical well-being. Yoga makes us take a hard look at ourselves, our lifestyles, and how we may have contributed to our own injury.”

When using yoga as therapy, instructors and OTs need to be aware of existing medical conditions and the contraindications associated with each health problem. “It’s critical to adapt the poses to the individual,” Sabel says, explaining that someone with osteoporosis shouldn’t do forward bends with trunk rotation, while somebody who has suffered a stroke or a bleed in the head shouldn’t do inversions. “One of my concerns with the Western approach to yoga is that people often try to ‘achieve’ a pose rather than ‘being’ in the pose and accepting where they are right now. If you work slowly, gently, and with mindfulness, your body will find the right balance.”

Recovery and Coping With Disease

The positive effects of yoga can extend to those recovering from illness such as cancer and stroke. The exercises can help a patient relax and sleep better, and combat the depression often associated with serious health issues. Continuous practice teaches patience, along with a greater understanding of the problem at hand and what the healing process involves.

“As an OT, you have to help your clients address the psychological aspect of their disease or problem first,” Barnes points out. Yoga and meditation offer powerful tools for recovering addicts, Barnes continues. “The person learns to be present in the moment. You follow the breath and notice what’s happening in the body right now. You experience the cravings come and go.” In this sense, yoga can enhance coping skills and patience. “It helps you be calmer and to accept what is and what needs to change,” she explains.

Perhaps the most important role of OT and yoga instructors is to show people how to develop their own intuition, take control, and be more self-directed in the healing process, Barnes says. Adds Sabel: “If we help people find a way to be present in the moment, the body has an amazing capacity for change and will work toward the right balance.”

Isabelle Gullö is a medical writer for the Gannett Healthcare Group.

STUDY FINDS YOGA ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED BRAIN GABA LEVELS
(Boston) - Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels, the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. The findings, which appear in the May issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, suggest that the practice of yoga be explored as a possible treatment for depression and anxiety, disorders associated with low GABA levels.

The World Health Organization reports that mental illness makes up to fifteen percent of disease in the world. Depression and anxiety disorders both contribute to this burden and are associated with low GABA levels. Currently, these disorders have been successfully treated with pharmaceutical agents designed to increase GABA levels.

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, the researchers compared the GABA levels of eight subjects prior to and after one hour of yoga, with 11 subjects who did no yoga but instead read for one hour. The researchers found a twenty-seven percent increase in GABA levels in the yoga practitioner group after their session, but no change in the comparison subject group after their reading session. The acquisition of the GABA levels was done using a magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique developed by J. Eric Jensen, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an associate physicist at McLean Hospital.

According to the researchers, yoga has shown promise in improving symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and epilepsy. “Our findings clearly demonstrate that in experienced yoga practitioners, brain GABA levels increase after a session of yoga,” said lead author Chris Streeter, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at BUSM and a research associate at McLean Hospital.

“This study contributes to the understanding of how the GABA system is affected by both pharmacologic and behavioral interventions and will help to guide the development of new treatments for low GABA states,” said co-author Domenic Ciraulo, MD, professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry at BUSM.

“The development of an inexpensive, widely available intervention such as yoga that has no side effects but is effective in alleviating the symptoms of disorders associated with low GABA levels has clear public health advantage,” added senior author Perry Renshaw, MD, PhD, director of the Brain Imaging Center at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

This study was supported in part by grants from the national Institute of Drug Abuse; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; the National Center for Research Resources, and the Gennaro Acampora Charity Trust to the Division of Psychiatry, Boston Medical Center.

YOGA IMPROVES CONCENTRATION, MOTIVATION
Benefits Beyond Strength and Flexibility

NEW ORLEANS –  Practicing yoga can lessen anxiety, heighten concentration and improve motivation in as little as eight weeks, according to research presented in New Orleans at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Researchers sought to quantify benefits that go beyond the strength and flexibility typically associated with yoga in the western world.

ACSM members Traci A. Statler, Ph.D., and Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., tested 84 students during the second and eighth weeks of four, 10-week Hatha yoga classes at California State University San Bernardino. Most participants were female (93 percent); 45 percent were Hispanic, 35 percent Caucasian, seven percent African-American, and two percent Asian. The students averaged 24 years of age; most had at least three months of consistent yoga experience prior to the class.

Two weeks and again nine weeks into the class, participants completed three standard assessments to measure their concentration, motivation and anxiety level. The results were dramatic. “We were surprised by the degree of difference in just eight weeks of practice,” Statler said. “We measured significant increases in all three areas. We’ve noted empirical evidence that yoga carries affective benefits, but now we’ve been able to objectively measure the results.”

Statler, a sports psychology consultant, teamed with Wheeler, a yoga expert, to gauge the commonalities between sports and yoga. “Both require focus and confidence,” Wheeler said. “While westerners tend to regard yoga primarily as a physical discipline, in the East it is pursued as a mindful discipline, helping people live their lives with clarity and a positive outlook.”

Further research, said Statler, may address how best to translate yoga benefits into improvements in sports performance. “We’d like to study a broader sample, including more male students and more athletes,” she said.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world.  More than 20,000 international, national, and regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Yoga for Exceptional Parents
By Jackie Kuhn OTR, RYT
Apr 1, 2008

I am middle-aged woman. I am recently a single mom. I have three wonderfully sweet and smart teenage sons with attention deficit disorder. The teacher’s calls come daily. I have more counselors, tutors and therapists than I have friends. I need help. I need something. I don’t know what… 

Who would guess that the “something” I needed would be so simple and so basic. SAVE YOURSELF FIRST. I am of no good to my kids or my fellow man unless I put myself first. I can actually unintentionally do great harm. The primary requirement for success is that I give up. Surrender the idea that the world needs me managing it in order for it to keep spinning. Surrender the belief that I alone need to find the key to unlock my kid’s potential. Accept that life has turbulence, and I cannot guarantee a smooth flight in life for my boys. I need to control the things I can—like taking care of me first. That said, I need to practice these ideas on a regular basis, or I grab the controls again and try to fly the plane to my expected destination. Expectations are my attempt to control and fit life into my finite preconceived ideas. To get what I think we “deserve” in life.   I would rather dream. Dreams are what we strive for and aspire to, and the potential is limitless.  


Practicing Self-care and Self-love

So, now that I have hopefully convinced you to really put yourself first, how do you practice self-care and self-love? If you are like me, you are clueless where to begin. I tried shopping, exercising, massage, hot baths, fine wines (had to stop that); you name it! The solution to all of life’s convolutions lies in the sub-title of this article. Breathe! 

 The answer really does reside in the breath. I started practicing with a Hatha Yoga teacher once a week at the local church community center. The breath leads to self-discovery, Yoga poses (asanas) lead to quieting of the mind and self-connection. That was seven years ago, and since then, Yoga has been a powerful force in my life. It is truly a journey that has brought me many wonderful things including “inner peace” in a complex world. 

 I often find myself asking, how can something so simple make me feel so good?   I have come to rely on the feelings of well-being, inspiration, energy and excitement I find in my Yoga practice. I am so thankful that I have found Yoga, first and foremost for ME. The healing postures and breath-work provide me with a much needed psychological and physical cleansing. As an OT, I can appreciate the benefits of exercise and stretching. I did not expect to gain tools that I could carry off the mat into life. Stress happens. In my life I can count on it! I need something to keep me together. My mind races with solutions, my body tenses to prepare for bad news, and my spirit is crushed to hear that one more time my son has gotten himself in trouble at school. Yoga, meaning union, brings harmony and balance to the mind, body, and spirit. The definition of “spirit” in Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary is the breath of life—a breath or vapor that animates the soul of man. As parents of children with special needs, I think we are prone to become scattered. I constantly hold my breath in anticipation of bad news. We as parents have too many demands pulling our heartstrings in too many directions. The practice of yoga can realign the scattered parts into an integrated whole.   

 

Why Practice Pranayama?

I have used my breath (Pranayama) to guide me through many sticky situations. Prana (prah-nah) is life energy. Yama (yah-mah) is discipline or regulation. Pranayama is the term used to describe the practice of breathing techniques or expansion of the life force.

The first thing you do when you enter this world is to inhale. Your last act in this life is to exhale. When prana leaves the body, we die. 

 Here are some good reasons to practice deepening your breath. Nine out of 10 adults in the U.S. are chest breathers-shallow breathing into the chest. In most people, one-third of our lungs is “dead space.” The more you can breath into the full lung, the more oxygen your body will absorb. Deep breathing increases your metabolism (an aid to weight management which is always a plus!), strengthens your immune system, calms and steadies the mind, improves focus and concentration, can lower blood pressure, promotes “inner peace” and feelings of well being.     Now You Can Help Your Child

 When you have incorporated the tools of Yoga into your life (and NOT before!), you can share that gift (now place the oxygen mask on your child) with the children you love.   With a calm and steady mind, you can serve as a model for your children. The energy you emanate with regular Pranayama practice will be healthy and balanced. Once you practice stillness, the answers will come more naturally. Since children are open little souls, they will respond positively to the changes in your energy.  Since I began practicing Yoga seven years ago, a PT friend, Ginny Jurken, and I have become certified Yoga instructors. We formed Special Kids Yoga (SKY0) five years ago and began teaching a Yoga class for children with developmental challenges. Our commitment is to honor the inherent wholeness of the child. In addition, Yoga is something the entire family can benefit from. The kids respond naturally to the ancient practice of Yoga. 

No Pain, Mo’ Gain  By Kelli Rosen


Alternative Solutions Magazine

Yoga is a hot ticket at many health clubs, and athletes are taking advantage of it. Developed in India thousands of years ago, yoga has become something of a craze because it offers more than just physical benefits—it helps foster the mind-body connection.

“The spiritual or alternative aspects of training have always been more dominant [for me] than the physical or traditional aspects,” says Brent Perdrizet, triathlete and resident of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Perdrizet practices yoga each morning before his usual five to six hours of sport-specific training in swimming, biking and running. “[Triathlon training] has to be a complete lifestyle, otherwise it’d be very easy to burn out.”

Poses, with such colorful names as downward-facing dog and exalted warrior, go beyond the basic stretches everyone learns in high school PE class by allowing participants to warm and stretch muscles, tendons and ligaments in the proper order. “A supple body is great to have when you’re an athlete,” says Kelley Busby, a consultant at the yoga research and Education Center in Santa Rosa, California. “You need to be resilient.” And since an integral part of performing poses is breath work, yoga gets athletes deeper into a stretch. Emphasizing breathing also teaches relaxation and gives athletes—especially those who tend to get nervous—something to focus on once they hit the court, track or field.

Busby, a former professional tennis player, explains that in addition to increased flexibility, yoga may also provide a mental edge. “Yoga helps your concentration, because you need to focus and balance in order to do the postures,” she says. “This translates very well once you’re competing, because you need a clear head to be successful. If I had been doing yoga when I was playing tennis, I would have been a much better player.”

Busby wouldn’t have any trouble convincing Justin Gimelstob of that. Gimelstob was struggling with back problems last year when he started practicing yoga, which he says helped his back pain go away and gave him the presence of mind to win four straight matches at the 2001 U.S. Open before finally succumbing to Wimbledon champ Goran Ivanisevic.

“Yoga has given me an opportunity to continue my career at a point where surgery seemed like the only option I had left,” says Gimelstob. “I was skeptical at first, but my back improved immediately, as did my flexibility and strength. Beyond the physical benefits of yoga, the inner peace has been an even greater reward, on and off the court.”

Athletes considering yoga should find a class that suits their needs and personality. There are many forms of yoga to choose from. Hatha yoga focuses on flexibility. Bikram yoga is a rigorous strength and cardiovascular workout done with the heat cranked up. Iyengar yoga focuses on precise alignment of postures with great attention to detail; participants use props (belts, blocks and chairs) to help maneuver themselves into nearly perfect positions.

The Yoga of Autism  http://www.yogachicago.com/nov06/yogaofautism.shtml


Study Shows Yoga Boosts Kids' Grades  http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/KidsAreDoo.html


Childs's Play How Yoga affect's your child's body, mind, and grades  http://www.fityoga.com/html/archive/articles/oc07/childs_play.pdf


Benefits of Hatha Yoga  http://www.familyyoga.org/FamilyYogaBenefits.html#ages





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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years, Abraham Lincoln